Content about registrar

An opposite-sex couple have gone to the High Court to challenge the UK’s civil partnership ban for straight people; they would prefer a civil partnership to marriage

A man and a woman have applied to the UK’s High Court today to challenge the ban on men and women entering into civil partnerships with one another.

Civil partnerships for same-sex couples were introduced in England and Wales in 2005. In 2013, the introduction of the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act, which came into force earlier this year, meant that same-sex couples could enter into marriage, or, if they prefer, a civil partnership.

Those already in a civil partnership can change their relationship status to married by completing a form with a registrar.

Richard Perrins – a solicitor at leading specialist fertility and family law firm, Natalie Gamble Associates – explains more on the upcoming changes to England and Wales’ same-sex marriage arrangements and the provisions to convert an existing civil partnership into marriage

As of the 29 March 2014, marriage for same-sex couples in England and Wales became a reality and many have already tied the knot.

At the time the Same Sex Couples (Marriage) Bill was passed there was no immediate provision for those in a civil partnership to be able to convert this to a marriage if they chose.

An Italian court has ruled that the 2012 New York same-sex marriage of an Italian gay couple must be legally recognized in a legal first

An Italian court has recognized the marriage of an Italian same-sex couple in a legal first – finding that there is no reference to the genders of who can marry in Italy’s civil code.

The couple took the municipality of Grosseto to court after its registrar refused to register their overseas marriage in New York in December of 2012 – finding that Italian jurisdictions should recognize any marriage that was legally conducted abroad.

Judge Timothy Black has ordered that a recently deceased Ohio man’s same-sex marriage should be recorded on his death certificate – the second such ruling he has made in two months

The Federal Court District judge who ruled that an Ohio gay man who is dying from Lou Gehrig’s disease must be recognized as married has now ruled that an Ohio gay man who recently died should have his out of state marriage recognized on his death certificate as well.

William Herbert Ives, 54, married his partner of 18 years, David Michener in Delaware on 22 July, but Ives died unexpectedly last week.

New Hope mayor Larry Keller says he won’t marry gay couples because he fears being sued, since a registrar has been slapped with a civil disobedience lawsuit for granting marriage licenses to same-sex couples without court approval

A US mayor won’t conduct any same-sex marriages because according to him, ‘a mayor is not obligated to officiate any wedding’.

New Hope, Pennsylvania mayor Larry Keller said in a letter to city council this week he fears being sued like D. Bruce Hanes, a Montgomery County registrar, who has distributed over 100 marriage licenses to same-sex couples since July.

An Australian person who is neither male nor female has won an appeals verdict in the Supreme Court of New South Wales after the New South Wales state Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages issued norrie mAy-Welby with a certificate declaring norrie ‘sex not specified’ and then withdrew it

An Australian community activist who is neither male or female has won an appeals verdict in the Supreme Court of New South Wales (NSW), recognizing a third sex status for the first time in Australia.

norrie mAy-Welby had been provided with a recognized details certificate declaring norrie ‘sex not specified’ by the NSW Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages in March of 2010 just a day before the Sydney Mardi Gras Parade but the Registry contacted norrie to tell norrie the certificate had been cancelled after norrie’s story was reported on by media around the world.

Traditional leaders in Zambia have called for a crackdown on gays after four couples sought to register their same-sex marriages with a registrar

Tribal chiefs in Zambia have called for a crackdown on gays in the Southern African nation after four gay couples sought to have their marriages recognized by a state registrar – calling for them to ‘be caged.’

Chief Madzimawe of the Ngoni and Chief Shakumbila of Mumbwa wrote to the Zambia Daily Mail to condemn LGBT people after it reported that four mixed national same-sex couples had sought to have their marriages recognized by a state registrar earlier this month.

Scotland makes history by becoming the first part of the United Kingdom to publish legislation to allow same-sex marriage

The Scottish government launched the ‘Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Bill’, which will introduce marriage equality, yesterday (12 December) alongside a 14-week consultation on its implementation.

The draft legislation will allow same-sex marriage in Scotland and give all religious and belief bodies (for example Humanist) the right to conduct same-sex marriages, if they wish to do so.

The bill will also remove the requirement on a married or civil partnered transgender person to divorce before obtaining full Gender Recognition.

Lillian Ladele and Gary McFarlane, who refused to provide services for gay people, are among four Christians taking appeals to European Court of Human Rights today

A man and a woman who refused to do their jobs for gay people are among four British Christians taking employment tribunal appeals to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) today (4 September).

The two, who said their religious beliefs meant they shouldn’t be asked to provide services for lesbian, gay and bisexual people, are joined by two more people who fought to be able to wear a crucifix symbol at work.

Two member churches of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches look set to make major decisions about how to recognize same-sex relationships this month, with one already voting to register and bless civil partnerships

The largest British Christian denomination to date has voted to allow civil partnerships to be registered in its churches in the same month that its Australian sister church will debate the issue of same-sex marriage.

Britain’s United Reformed Church voted on July 7 at its General Assembly to allow civil partnerships in its churches following an hour long debate.

However it will be up to individual churches to decide whether they will allow civil partnerships in deference to dissenters.

A gay couple from Uttar Pradesh decided to leave home after officials had approved of their marriage based on allegedly false documents

An Indian gay couple scared of ending up behind bars fled their village as their marriage was found to have been solemnised 'by mistake'.

Simran and Chunmun Kumar, both in their 20s, registered their marriage in late March in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh. But officials maintain they had submitted two false affidavits, describing one as a man and the other as woman, reported The Indian Express.